Social isolation, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, amplified by the Covid-19 public health crisis, have helped drive investment in digital health tools and services aimed at behavioral health. Investment in digital health companies targeting behavioral health rocketed up to $804.3 million in 2020, compared with a little more than $314 million in 2019, according to data from a 2021 Rock Health report.
Behavioral health will be a focus of discussion at the MedCity INVEST conference coming up March 28-30 at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Chicago. The event attracts traditional and strategic investors and healthcare executives across providers, payers, big tech, medtech and startups with compelling content and networking opportunities. The event is held in collaboration with Mid-America Healthcare Investors Network (MHIN).
To view the full agenda, click here.
Here’s a look at the panel on mental health, scheduled for Wednesday March 30 at 9am Central Time.
Halting the Mental Health Crisis
Loneliness + Political Division + Pandemic + Economic Uncertainty + Lack of Access to Specialists = Worsening Mental Health Epidemic. What are the tools in the arsenal that can pave the way to better mental health care for children and adults alike? Is it virtual coaches and telepsychiatry. Is it focusing on whole health and including mental health expertise in primary care? Learn from experts seeking to stem a growing epidemic of despair.
Speakers for the panel discussion include:
- Eugene Borukhovich, co-founder and COO, YourCoach Health (Moderator)
- Naomi Allen, CEO and Co-Founder, Brightline
- Neha V. Gupta, MD, Division Chief of Integrated Behavioral Health, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center
- Ellen Herlacher, Principal, LRVHealth
- Jeff Weness, Head of Digital Opportunities and Business Intelligence, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.)
Photo: metamorworks, Getty Images